Europe’s largest telcos are pursuing separate, and potentially overlapping strategies, to build a domestic alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink in the growing market for direct-to-device mobile satellite communications.
The European Union (EU) is reserving a portion of key spectrum for European-owned companies.
Satellite Connect Europe has launched in Luxembourg to bring mobile satellite communications closer to European mobile network operators (MNOs), combining Vodafone and Avellan Space Technology (AST) SpaceMobile’s direct-to-device model with local ground infrastructure and sovereign data control.
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Telefonica are in preliminary talks to form a consortium in a joint bid for satellite spectrum in the 2 GHz that the EU is preparing to reserve, according to people familiar with the matter, cited by Bloomberg.
Europe Pushes Satellite Coverage Closer to Operators
First introduced in 2025 as a joint venture between Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile, Satellite Connect Europe has become an open-access provider for MNOs. Its model centers on a direct to cell satellite service that can extend mobile broadband beyond the limits of towers and fiber.
The company is deploying five Europe-based ground stations, with construction already underway in Spain and the UK, while three other locations are being finalized. These sites are expected to support full European coverage and keep network operations, data handling, and service control under European jurisdiction.
This approach places satellite communication Europe at the center of a wider sovereignty debate, especially as governments and operators look for more resilient communications systems during emergencies, rural outages, and infrastructure disruptions.
“With our unique MNO-first approach, we are fully aligned with the ambitions of Europe’s service providers and regulators. We are positioned to complement existing terrestrial networks, enabling MNOs to deliver ubiquitous connectivity to their customers for the first time,” according to Managing Director, Meredith Sharples.
Instead of bypassing mobile operators, Satellite Connect Europe wants to support them, allowing MNOs to keep their customer relationships and service control while adding mobile satellite services in satellite communications to their coverage plans.
Terrestrial networks remain the backbone of digital life, but coverage gaps still exist in rural areas, transport corridors, maritime zones, and emergency locations. This is where satellite communication for mobile operators becomes more than a backup layer.
No final decisions have been made, and Vodafone and Orange declined to comment, while Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica did not immediately respond to requests for comments, according to Bloomberg.
Direct-to-Device Services Test Europe’s Network Future
Under a proposal being drafted ahead of the expiry of existing 2 GHz licenses in 2027, the EU would split the band into three parts.
One third-reserved for companies majority owned by European entities, one-third allocated to the IRIS² sovereign satellite constellation, and the remaining third open to international bidders, including SpaceX.
The service will use AST SpaceMobile’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology, which Vodafone said can deliver mobile broadband directly to multiple 4G or 5G smartphones without specialized software, device support, or updates.
That makes mobile satellite communications more practical for everyday users, not only for emergency services or specialized satellite phone customers. The model could allow consumers to stay connected when they move outside terrestrial coverage, while operators add satellite reach through existing mobile networks.
“Consumers across Europe will get a significant uplift in coverage experience through direct-to-device satellite connectivity – it will be one of the biggest leaps forward for coverage in decades,” said Ben Wood, Chief Analyst at CCS Insight.
The launch also strengthens the business case for direct to cell satellite service deployment, especially as mobile operators search for coverage expansion without building towers in every hard-to-reach area.
Europe’s regulatory environment will shape how fast this develops. Satellite Connect Europe says it will work with regulators, policymakers, and industry players to support spectrum use across International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) and Mobile Satellite Services (MSS).
This gives mobile satellite services in satellite communications a policy dimension, not only a technical one. If spectrum, licensing, and national security concerns are aligned, operators could treat satellite as a normal extension of mobile coverage.
The wider question is how satellite communication Europe will fit beside public space infrastructure plans and national connectivity strategies.
The EU IRIS2 satellite constellation already shows that Europe wants secure satellite capacity, but direct-to-device broadband adds a consumer and operator layer to that ambition.
Satellite Connect Europe’s model also raises the importance of satellite communication for mobile operators, because the value is not only in launching satellites, but in integrating them into billing, roaming, customer support, emergency access, and quality-of-service systems.
For users, satellite and mobile communication could eventually feel invisible: the phone stays connected even when the terrestrial network fades.
For operators, broadband mobile satellite communication offers a way to extend service while keeping control of customer data and network experience.
The next test for mobile satellite communications in Europe will be execution: ground stations, spectrum coordination, commercial partnerships, and the reliability of real-world service.
If Satellite Connect Europe delivers, mobile satellite communications may move from a niche resilience tool to a standard part of European mobile coverage.
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